Phipps’ Garden Railroad: Memories in Motion

October 13, 2018 @ 9:30 am - March 10, 2019 @ 5:00 pm

In celebration of Phipps’ 125th anniversary, this year’s all-new Garden Railroad: Memories in Motion takes guests on a journey down the tracks of time, showing the dramatic transformation of the Conservatory from its humble beginnings to its modern-day status as a leader in horticultural display and sustainability — all through the magic of interactive, meticulously detailed garden-scale models! Watch as miniature locomotives chug through landscapes full of live, miniscule plants, showing scenes of Phipps and its Schenley Park surroundings in 1893 and 2018. Plus, guests of all ages will delight at interactive, push-button stations that bring these memorable displays to life.

Exhibit Features

Go back in time as a miniature Phipps Conservatory, complete with its original entrance, welcomes a flock of floral fans — including Henry Phipps himself!

Watch as trains deliver plants to Phipps from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

Push a button to start miniature antique cars on a rollicking race through the serpentine roads of Schenley Park.

Follow the rail lines as a lumber mill delivers materials for construction of the South Conservatory.

Activate the lights and music of an outdoor band shell and carousel ride once located near Phipps.

See modern Phipps from a bird’s-eye view with a miniature Center for Sustainable Landscapes, Nature Lab and the forthcoming Exhibit Staging Center, complete with interactive lagoon fountain and wind turbine.